Don't turn the clocks back

If an election had actually been called earlier this month, next Thursday would, in all likelihood, have been polling day. And because today is the day clocks officially go back, my campaign team and I would have been out and about in Putney, Roehampton and Southfields encouraging you NOT to turn the clocks back politically and returning us all to the Conservative era of:

• two devastating recessions
• 15% interest rates
• 3 million unemployed
• 75,000 people in negative equity and record repossessions
• 1 million more pensioners in absolute poverty
• 2 million more children in absolute poverty
• Schools and hospitals underfunded
• St Mary's Hospital A&E, Roehampton, axed
• Wages of £1.50 an hour - or less
• 79,000 fewer nurses
• 28,000 fewer teachers
• 27,000 fewer doctors
• 13,000 fewer police officers
• Crime 30% higher overall than it is today
• Our international development budget to aid the world's poorest countries halved
• Maternity pay halved, maternity leave reduced

Just recalling what Britain was like before 1997 sends a shudder through me. It's worth reliving though, because beneath the gloss of the new Conservatives, there's no evidence to suggest they've changed at all - and let's face it: that's precisely what most Tory members want.

So whenever the election is, just think back to what Britain was like under the Conservatives. Please don't turn the clocks back.